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On May 10, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes — the long-awaited standalone sequel to 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes — hits theaters worldwide. The movie is set almost 300 years after its predecessor, meaning all the characters who appeared in it are long dead.
By this time the remaining humans on Earth have regressed into a feral state. At the same time, apes follow in Caesar’s footsteps, building civilizations and attempting to live peacefully in the oasis that Andy Serkis’ character created.
That is apart from one ape, Proximus Caesar, who goes against Caesar’s teachings and uses weapons forged from salvaged human technologies to enslave other primate clans. But precisely who is Proximus Caesar in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes?
Proximus Caesar explained
Proximus Caesar, played via motion-capture by The Strain and X-Men Origins: Wolverine star Kevin Durand, is the primary antagonist of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
He’s a highly evolved bonobo — a great ape historically known as the pygmy chimpanzee, the dwarf chimpanzee, or the gracile chimpanzee — whose ruthless nature tarnishes Caesar’s legacy.
He leads the Coastal Ape Colony, a clan of apes based in the western coastal area of North America. Their sole purpose is to find lost human weapons and devices, which they can use to control other ape clans dictatorially.
Proximus Caesar wears a crown and has a menacing appearance. This is aided by the fact that despite being a descendant of evolved apes, his sclera — the outer layer of the eyes surrounding the irises — is dark-colored, a trait ordinary apes possess in the real world. His allies include Silva, an evolved gorilla who serves him, portrayed by Eka Darville.
Planet of the Apes fans will hope Proximus Caesar makes as big a mark on the cinematic landscape as Caesar himself did, and fortunately we don’t have to wait too long to find out.